Burgh Charters and Miscellaneous Writs

Call Number msBX2033.A00 (ms5455)

Title Psalter prefaced by Sarum use calendar

Date 15th century

Description Psalter, known as the 'St Andrews Psalter'. A Sarum rite calendar together with Psalms 1-150.

English hand. The calendar is not defaced but wants all the Canticles except Confitebor [wanting v.6 onwards]. The whole is marked up as for the usage of the Book of Common Prayer

Illuminated initials to psalms 1, 26, 38, 52, 68, 80, 97 and 109 in colours on decorated gold grounds. Borders in gold and colours, with illustrations of flowers, men, birds, monkeys, dragon, griffin and other creatures.

Extent 1 volume, 106ff

Arrangement Single item

Creator Name Unknown

Admin History Books of the Psalms were known as psalters, often also containing calendars, canticles, prayers and creeds. They were popularly used for private devotions but could also be used for liturgical purposes where all 150 psalms were to be recited each week. Depictions of King David, supposed author of many of the Psalms, frequently introduce the psalter; many of the surviving examples are richly ornamented. Psalms were also important in prayer books and later in books of hours.

Calendars were often found at the start of a manuscript, preceding devotional texts. They could be illuminated, and usually used different colours, especially red, to highlight feast days. The particular feast days and saints’ days commemorated can give clues as to the provenance of the work. They may include devices for calculating movable feasts, such as Easter Tables.

The Sarum rite or use applied to the liturgical customs, rites and calendar associated with the medieval cathedral of Salisbury, which was also known as Sarum. This was based on the Roman rites of the eleventh century, but with various French, Norman and local influences. It was said to have been instituted by St Oswald, a Norman noble and bishop of Sarum or Salisbury from 1078, who revised the missal, breviary and ritual to ensure that the existing Anglo-Saxon versions agreed with those of Rome. It was widely copied and spread through England and into Scotland. The Sarum churches followed the Roman ecclesiastical calendar, starting the year on 25 March, the date of the Annunciation, and supplementing it, as is still done, with a host of local feasts.

Language In Latin

Physical Description 1 volume. Binding: Brown morocco, gold lettering. Binding of the eighteenth century replaced by Cockerell in March 1961. Vellum: 18.8x26.2cm

Xx

Call Number msDA890.S1R4 (ms837)

Date 1354-1614

Description A book of evidences.

The volume comprises forty seven leaves of vellum and forty three leaves of paper.

The first hand of the vellum leaves [ff.1-4, 7-8r, 11-20r, 24-33] [from c.1450] gives details of the individual rentals due to six of the altars of the Church of Holy Trinity, St Andrews [Fife] together with charters of presentation and other material related to the church in a later hand [ff.5-6, 8r-10, 20v-23, 34-47]. Later transcriptions in the hand of John Motto, town clerk of St Andrews, are interspersed in gaps and blank leaves.

The paper leaves [ff.48-77] comprise transcriptions in the hand of John Motto, town clerk of St Andrews, of various charters and acts in favour of the town by monarchs, bishops and others.

A final leaf [f.78] comprises an index to the whole in a hand very probably that of George Martine.

Extent 1 volume, 93ff

Creator Name John Motto

Admin History John Motto (fl.1560-1581), town clerk of St Andrews. He was responsible for the survival of many of the old town charters, both in their original form and also by copying them into the Black Book, and into this volume. By 1581 he had been an elder in the church of the Holy Trinity for 20 years.

The book appears to have been started by a priest of the church of the Holy Trinity, compiling a record of altars and altarages, and other hands added presentations to churches until 1505. Then the work was taken up again in the 1560s by John Motto who filled in most of the blank pages and gaps with copies of charters and documents. Later scribes added more copies of charters and acts.

Archival History Formerly preserved with the Town Charters and taken from thence to Edinburgh by George Buist c.1837.

Language In Latin and English.

Physical Description 1 volume. Binding: Black morocco embossed on spine 'Regist civit S Andree'. Vellum and paper: 14x21cm approx.

Publication Note A full description and translation is given in W E K Rankin "The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity St Andrews" 1955.

Xx

Call Number msDA890.S1W5 (ms588)

Date c.1238

Description An agreement between John, the prior, and the canons of St Andrews [Fife], Master Laurence, archdeacon of St Andrews, and Sir William, archdeacon of Lothian, concerning an episcopal election.

Extent 1f

Arrangement Single item

Creator Name John, prior of St Andrews, Master Laurence, archdeacon of St Andrews, Sir William, archdeacon of Lothian.

Admin History A priory of Augustinian canons was founded around 1127 by Robert, bishop of St Andrews. The small eleventh century church of St Rule was extended to function as a church for the canons and also as cathedral for the see of St Andrews. The priory had 3 dependent houses, Porkmoak or Loch Leven priory, Pittenweem and Monymusk. St Andrews cathedral, administered by the canons, was begun in 1160, but not completed until 1318.

Language In Latin.

Physical Description Parchment: indented: 17.2x7.2cm. Foot folded with slits for two seal tags. Fragment of seal, white wax, on a tag remains at left hand side. Loose fragment of seal also present. No seal or tag remains at right hand side.

Publication Note The document is described and transcribed as an appendix to G W S Barrow, "The Cathedral Chapter of St Andrews and the Culdees in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries" Journal of Ecclesiastical History, III, 1952, pp.23-39.

Xx

Call Number msKF51.R4 (ms1979)

Date [c.1500]

Description 'Regiam Maiestatem'

A collection of Scottish Statutes and other legal texts. It includes laws of William I, Alexander II, Robert I, acts of Robert III, burgh laws, collection of oaths for court officers, laws of Malcolm Mackenneth, and forest laws. f1-4 table of contents. Capitals and headings underlined in red.

The manuscript terminates with the heading for a table of contents on the 'Liber de iudicibus', which follows at this point in National Library of Scotland MS Advocates A.1.28., to which this manuscript is closely related. Folios 63-74 are in Scots (how to hold courts).

'Primus Liber Regie Maiestatis' [ff.5-49] is wanting a leaf after folio 10.

Dating is given by watermarks of 1489-1497 and c.1498. [See note pasted on front free endpaper].

Also a note on the contents by R M Maxtone Graham, Edinburgh, 16 April 1957.

Extent 1 volume, 130ff

Arrangement Single item

Creator Name Unknown

Admin History Written in Scotland.

Language In Latin and Scots.

Physical Description 1 volume. Binding: red calf with crest of University of St Andrews. "Old Scotch Laws MS Sec.XV." on spine. Paper: 21.3x29cm

Related Material ms37022/39 Cosmo Innes, antiquary, letter to [? librarian, St Andrews University]: re. mediaeval legal manuscript, may refer to Regiam Maiestatem, Edinburgh 13 January 1862 4 pp.

Publication Note Fully described in N R Ker and A J Piper "Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries: IV Paisley - York" Oxford, 1992.

Xx

Call Number msLF1119.31 (ms1347)

Date 1443

Description Rotographic facsimile reproduction of Wolfenbuttel Ms Codex Helmstedt 411 [Copiale Prioratus Sanctiandree: the letterbook of James Haldenstone prior of St Andrews, 1418-1443].

Extent 1 volume, 63ff

Creator Name James Haldenstone

Language In Latin.